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ROAD SAFTEY RULES

Relevance

• GS Paper 3: Indian Economy – Issues related to planning, mobilization of resources, employment, growth, and development.

Why in the news?

• The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is commemorated on November 19.
• According to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), each year, a staggering 3,00,000 people are estimated to be killed on the road in India.
• That is equivalent to more than 34 people every hour of every day, this not only incorporates human suffering but also causes economic toll. In India, road crashes are estimated to cost between 5% and 7% of national GDP.
• Road safety is a global problem, with 3 million people killed in road accidents every year. But almost one in every four road deaths around the world takes place in India.

How road safety and economic development are intertwined?

• Road safety and economic development go hand in hand with the country’s modernization and impressive economic progress.
• India’s roads are a paradox, they represent an enormous and growing opportunity to connect and commute, to transport and travel.
• India has some of the greatest opportunities to build a strong road safety management framework, with strong helmet producers, car manufacturers, big tech, and large road investments.
• According to Government estimates 2022 was the most fatal year for traffic crashes in India which stated to understand and tackle the scale and importance of road safety.

Hurdles in road safety

• No seatbelts for passengers: Wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death among drivers and front seat occupants by 45% to 50%, and the risk of death and serious injuries among rear seat occupants by 25%.
• Weak enforcement for helmet use: vulnerable road users, who include pedestrians, cyclists, and the riders of two-wheelers, account for almost three-quarters of road deaths in India due to lack of helmet use.
• Over-speeding: A recent report by the Government revealed that speeding led to 70% of India’s road crash deaths.
• Inefficient road infrastructure: Road infrastructure should be enhanced — too many roads are not in a safe condition.

What should be the focus areas?

• Priority areas must include enforcing the use of seatbelts not just for drivers but also for their passengers.
• Wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death among drivers and front seat occupants by 45% to 50%, and the risk of death and serious injuries among rear seat occupants by 25%.
• Helmet use must be enforced among motorcyclists as well as their million passengers. Correct helmet use can lead to a 42% reduction in the risk of fatal injuries.
• Over-speedingmust be reduced and there can be no tolerance for drinking or driving.
• Large-scale public awareness campaigns such as the new UN global campaign for road safety #MakeASafetyStatement, involving international celebrities, must be undertaken to secure behavioral changes.
• Align the drive with sustainable development goals, the Sustainable Development Goals, created in 2015, include a target (3.6) to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road crashes to make public transport safer, more affordable, and more accessible to all.

The government’s effort in this direction

• The national government’s implementation of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, and enhanced data collection from road crashes, are impactful measures that will help experts better understand where and why crashes are occurring, and, therefore, how to reduce them.
• Police in major cities, such as the capital, New Delhi, are adopting modern technologies such as intelligent traffic management systems to effectively regulate traffic flows in a much better way and minimize the potential for collision.
• The Special Envoy has worked with helmet producers to produce a low-cost ventilated United Nations standard helmet.
• We also need to look increasingly at international best practices and successes and then adapt them to India’s specific needs and circumstances.
• We need a comprehensive safe system approach as envisaged in the UN’s Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021­2030.

Way Forward

• Therefore, we need immediate, coordinated, and evidence-based interventions to boost road safety and drastically reduce the daily human tragedies behind the alarming statistics.
• This will require strategic investments in road safety measures, concerted political will at the national, State, and local levels, and a change of collective mindset.
• Road safety is a complex and multi­dimensional challenge, but the benefits that come with addressing it can be equally profound.

Source: The Hindu

Mains Question

“Road Safety and economic development go hand in hand”. In view of the above statement discuss why it is important to address the issues of road safety and suggest remedial measures to improve the conditions of roads in India”.